


make myself believe

by dearmoonlight



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Iori is very gay for his friend and he's having troubles dealing with it which is a whole ass mood, M/M, Prompt Fill, alternative title: Riku is hot. Iori is not dealing well with that, an attemp was MADE okay, this is mostly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23606302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearmoonlight/pseuds/dearmoonlight
Summary: Riku’s eyes seem to follow him wherever he goes, from bus stops and magazines covers and publicitary boards. It feels as if he’s going to catch fire.Long story short? Iori spends a lot of time keeping himself from trying to drown with his own pillow.
Relationships: Izumi Iori/Nanase Riku
Comments: 17
Kudos: 99





	make myself believe

**Author's Note:**

> Ioriku + "Can I tell you a secret?"

It starts as most disgraces in Iori’s life do: with a phone call from Kujo Tenn.

It’s not that he doesn’t want Tenn to reach out for Riku - he gleams in a way that’s almost literal whenever his brother sends him a text, so a whole call is almost like Christmas came earlier this year - and more that he’s afraid of whatever news he might bring with him. Riku sends a distracted glance at his phone when it starts ringing, which quickly transforms into a high pitched scream ( _ Tenn-nii _ !”) and he dashes out of the room immediately, movie and teammates forgotten.

What a brocon, Iori thinks.

( _ “Oh, no, nii-san, don’t worry, I’ll go get more popcorn, you have already done enough for today. Please, get some rest.” _ )

Riku doesn’t come back for a good twenty minutes. In that period of time: Iori comes back with the popcorn.Tamaki whines about Riku stopping the movie in the best part. Sogo complains about him being too impatient. Yamato turns on musashi and drinks his third beer. Iori starts to get restless. Nagi hums the ending of magikona three times. Mitsuki does it  _ once _ .

Riku throws the door open, beaming. Nagi opens his mouth to ask, but he doesn’t give him enough time.

“I’ve got a job!”

* * *

You see, Iori considers himself a very serious high schooler. In fact, he’d dare to add “and, just in general, a very competent individual.” 

It’s implied in that statement that he does not have feelings for his very kind, very hardworking, very  _ cute  _ fellow idol. That’d be just unprofessional, and a time-bomb waiting to explode in the faces of Idolish7. Iori is not one to endanger his brother’s dream.

It’s amazing to witness how much Riku has changed since they started the group, though. He’s growing into himself, getting more confident in his own abilities by the day - and he’s still kind, passionate in everything he does, committed to their purpose with his very soul. Iori thought he knew what respect was, but Riku gives a whole new meaning to the word. The feeling is overbearing, and he repeats it to himself like a mantra: He doesn’t have a crush. He doesn’t. He can’t.

(Once, after a surprisingly long concert, he looks at Riku, so bright that he’s almost blinding even when the sweat is clinging to his skin and he’s trying to catch his breath through heavy panting. And Iori can feel it bubbling up his chest and out his throat before he can subdue it, the wave of admiration and that warmth feeling he still refuses to put a name on coming out in just a few awed words.

“You’re the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met.”

And Riku has managed to smile at him through the pain. Which somehow only made it all worse for Iori.)

The point is that Riku has changed. Someone was bound to notice it at some point. Maybe the potential was always there, a diamond waiting to be polished, and so a professional photographer got in contact with both, TRIGGER and Idolish7 for a very special shoot.

Starring, apparently, Ryuunosuke and Riku.

Iori is certain that Tenn just called in the first place to try to convince Riku to decline the offer.

Well, he should have tried  _ harder _ , Iori thinks.

It might have been a lost cause from the start, because this particular photographer was said to have known Zero once, and that’s enough for Riku to jump at the possibility of working with him. But, still, he needs to feel irrationally bitter about this, and Tenn is the only one he can blame. Because it’s hard to hold Riku accountable when he’s rambling about how fun the job is going to be, voice full with emotion.

* * *

The magazine comes out. 

Iori doesn’t think anything about the unbuttoned shirt or the hipbones or the thumb smudging red lipstick over his chin. He doesn’t.

* * *

Okay, listen. There’s a limit for how strong he can be about certain things. He’s only a teenager.

A character flaw, some might say.

* * *

The photoshoot is everywhere. Ryuunosuke is also in the photo. Iori takes two whole minutes to even notice that the first time. 

Riku’s eyes seem to follow him wherever he goes, from bus stops and magazines covers and publicitary boards. It feels as if he’s going to catch fire.

Long story short? Iori spends a lot of time keeping himself from trying to drown with his own pillow.

* * *

“It’s  _ very  _ good, Riku!” Nagi says, voice loud and face excited as he wags the magazine around.

“Yeah, I didn’t know you had it in you.” Yamato sounds honestly impressed, in that laidback way of his. Riku lets go of a shy laugh, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“I needed a lot of tries! The photographer was very kind to me.” there’s a blush coloring his cheeks, and it goes all the way down his neck. Not that Iori is noticing. “It always amaze me how good TRIGGER is at this!”

There’s a muffled sound coming from the kitchen. Sogo is probably hiding his blushing face at the mental thought of Ryuunosuke in the shoot. Again.

“Maybe it’s just not your thing.” Mitsuki intervenes, always a beacon of light in Iori’s life. “It was honestly a surprise that they called you, isn’t it? I would’ve expected them to be more interested in Nagi.”

Nagi smiles at the faded flatter, bright like the sun. Iori rolls his eyes.

“Riku actually came to me to ask how did I do it in the last  _ photoshoot _ !” he says, two octaves louder than the rest of their conversation.

“And Nagi was a very good teacher!” 

Riku leans forward in his seat, hands between his knees and smile blinding. Iori’s traitorous heart skips a beat, and he avoids Riku’s gaze when it turns to him.

Mitsuki is looking at his brother, too. There’s a knowing grin painted in his lips. Iori has to elude that, too, and ends up looking at the rolling musashi for far too long before clearing his throat and excusing himself for the night. 

There are too many things that he’s trying to hide lately.

* * *

Iori manages to keep his mouth shut about the damn photo for about two days after that, which is an impressive show of self-restraint, if he says so himself.

Of course, at some point the words pooling in the pit of his mouth end up finding a way up, and Iori asks -over their breakfast, with the sound of Mitsuki’s cooking sounds as a calming background - what did Nagi say to Riku.

He raises his eyebrows.

“Why do you want to know, uh?”

Iori clears his throat. Again. There’s a accustomed sense of annoyance slowly boiling in his stomach, which is almost comforting. That’s ordinary, and Iori clings to the feeling with all his might.

“You did more than an acceptable job even without any previous experience, Nanase-san.” Iori answers, voice clear. “You can’t blame me for being curious.”

Riku smiles over his cup of coffee, and it’s almost playful. Iori sighs, sounding slightly exasperated. He’s not going to indulge him.

“Nagi just told me to think of someone that made me feel comfortable enough to not be ashamed in front of them, even in that position.” Riku’s voice is always soothing, always kind. It makes Iori’s irritation subdue in a way that’s almost insultingly easy. He taps his fingers against his mug, and is easy to recognize the melody of Joker Flag, even if it’s just for a few seconds. Then, in a whisper that borders on conspiratorial. “Do you want to hear a secret?” 

Iori leans his head to the side, eyes silently questioning. Riku’s gaze is tender and feel like sunlight against his skin, and even his smile turns into something softer. Iori could suffocate in the warmth that radiates from his own heart at the sight.

“I was thinking about you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was honestly written in a whim and, as most of the prompts, I didn't work on it as much as I would've wanted but listen  
> Listen.
> 
> Riku has abs. This is canon. And I know they're probably for coughing too much, but still. Still.


End file.
